Patent GB-454500-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to methods of and apparatus for dressing fish
IPC: A22C25/16
Filed: 1935-03-29
Abstract: 454,500. Dressing fish. BAADER, R., 33, Wakenitzmauer, Lubeck, Germany. March 29, 1935, No. 9874. [Class 28 (ii)] In a fish-dressing machine, the back fins or belly fins, or both, are straightened by centring- means, and the pivotal parts of the fins are cut out to permit the subsequent filleting cuts, one on each side of the backbone, to be made nearer to each other than is usual. The lay-out of the whole machine may be as described in Specification 454,495 and, as shown, the fishes are conveyed past the fin straighteners and dressing-tools by the clamp means 100 carried by rotary arms 6 as described in Specification 454,496. The fish leaves the table 30 and is engaged in succession by guides 32, 33, Fig. 9 ; two pairs of hooks 34, 35 for straightening the fins ; holders 36, 37 for maintaining the fins straight and two pairs of disc knives 38, 39 for removing the fins. Springs tend to bring the members 32 ... 39 towards the centre line of travel of the fish. As shown in plan in Fig. 3, the members are all open, although, in practice, the members would not be opened simultaneously, but in succession, by cam plates 79, 85 carried by the clamps 100. The members 32 .. 39 are all carried by a fixed bracket 40 having two depending rods carrying sleeves 41, 42 pivoted thereon. Horizontal arms 43, 44 are integral with the sleeves 41, 42 and carry brackets 47, 48 on which the knives 38, 39 are carried. The arms 43, 44 are connected by a spring 45, the inward movement of the arms being limited by arms 52, 53, integral with the sleeves 41, 42, abutting against adjustable stops. The rods on which the sleeves 41, 42 are pivoted, rigidly carry brackets 56, 57 at their lower ends, the brackets having depending rods on which sleeves 60, 61, 67, 68 carrying the fin holders 36, 37, fin straighteners 34, 35 and guides 32, 33, are pivoted. The holders 36, 37 are carried by arms 58, 59 rigid with the sleeves 60, 61 and interconnected by a spring 46. The sleeves 60, 61 have arms 62, 63 coupled by a pin-and-slot connection 64. The guides 32, 33 are carried by arms 65, 66 which are rigid with the sleeves 67, 68 and are interconnected by a spring 69. Arms 70, 71 on the sleeves 67, 68 have a pin-and-slot connection 72. The fin straighteners 34, 35 are rigid with sleeves 73, 74 which carry tail pieces 75, 76 respectively connected to the guide parts 32, 33 by springs 77, 78 so that the fin straighteners move bodily with the guide parts but are free to swing relatively to them. The sleeves 73, 74 carry tail pieces which abut against set screws 106, 107 to limit the inward motion of the straighteners relatively to the guide parts 32, 33. The cam plate 79 engages rollers 80, 81, 82 on brackets depending from the supports of the outer guides and finstraighteners which are interconnected with their co-operating parts so that the movements towards and away from the centre line of the path of the fish are symmetrical. The cam 79 also positions the knives 38 whilst the opposed cam plate 85 engages a roller 86 to position the knives 39. In order to prevent the knives 38, 39 from cutting too deeply, a pair of feelers 112, 113 are provided, the feelers being mounted on bell cranks pivoted in sleeves 114, 115 fixed to the brackets 47, 48. The bellcranks are connected by springs 116, 117 to pins on the bracket, the springs being so strong that, during normal use, the feelers act as if they were rigid with the brackets 47, 48. The feelers and the knives thus follow the contour of the fish, the fins passing into holders 118, 119 carried in slots in the brackets 47, 48 by rods 120, 121 rigid with the bell-cranks. The knives 38, 39 are positioned independently of each other and are rotated continuously by universally mounted shafts 50, 51.